title: Utility of the Dimensions of Anger Reactions-5 (DAR-5) scale as a brief anger measure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anger is a common emotional sequel in the aftermath of traumatic experience. As it is associated with significant distress and influences recovery, anger requires routine screening and assessment. Most validated measures of anger are too lengthy for inclusion in self-report batteries or as screening tools. This study examines the psychometric properties of a shortened 5-item version of the Dimensions of Anger Reactions (DAR), an existing screening tool.
  
  
  METHODS
  Responses to the DAR-5 were analysed from a sample of 486 college students with and without a history of trauma exposure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The DAR-5 demonstrated strong internal reliability and concurrent validity with the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 (STAXI-2). Confirmatory factor analysis supported a single factor model of the DAR-5 for the trauma-exposed and nontrauma subsamples. A screening cut-off point of 12 on the DAR-5 successfully differentiated high and low scorers on STAXI-2 Trait Anger and PCL posttraumatic stress scores. Further discriminant validity was found with depression symptom scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results support use of the DAR-5 for screening for anger when a short scale is required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Australian Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Forbes
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alkemade
authors.forename: Damon
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Jon D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Elhai
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McHugh
authors.forename: Glen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bates
authors.forename: Raymond W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Novaco
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lewis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger / Q000502:physiology*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009820:Ohio; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: DAR; anger; assessment; trauma